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A jewel thief who slipped into some of Dallas’ wealthiest homes, stole millions of dollars in jewelry and managed to remain unidentified for decades is giving Fort Bend County readers something to talk about this fall.

Fort Bend County Libraries has selected Rena Pederson’s “The King of Diamonds: The Search for the Elusive Texas Jewel Thief” for its 2026 Community Reads program, essentially turning libraries across the county into one large community book club.

September discussions have wrapped up, but six opportunities remain in October and November for residents to join conversations about the nonfiction true-crime story. The countywide reading program will then lead into Fort Bend County Libraries’ annual Book Fest on Nov. 14, when Pederson is scheduled to appear at George Memorial Library in Richmond.

For readers who enjoy Texas history, unsolved mysteries or true crime, the selection offers more than a traditional whodunit. Pederson’s investigation reaches back into 1950s and 1960s Dallas, when a thief nicknamed the “King of Diamonds” repeatedly targeted members of the city’s wealthy social circles and continued operating despite scrutiny from law enforcement. 

A Texas Mystery That Endured for Decades

The story centers on a burglar whose unusually long crime spree became part of Dallas lore.

“I could make a good case that he was one of the most successful jewel thieves in the country. He stole the equivalent of $6 million in jewels today. And he endured for so many years. I mean, he had a longer career than the Beatles,” Pederson said during a 2024 interview with Texas Standard after the book was released.

Rather than moving constantly from city to city, the thief repeatedly returned to an unusually concentrated part of Dallas.

“He preyed on this very small area of Dallas, mostly the suburb of Highland Park in the area known as Preston Hollow. There’s never been another American jewel thief who worked such a compressed area for so long and was never caught.”

The crimes targeted some of the wealthiest households in Dallas during the 1950s and 1960s. Pederson’s book also examines the society surrounding those cases, giving readers a look at an era shaped by oil wealth, prominent families, elaborate social lives and secrets that often remained behind closed doors. Publishers Weekly describes the book as an investigation of unsolved jewel thefts involving high-profile Dallas targets, with Pederson revisiting a mystery that first caught her attention as a young journalist. 

That mix of history and mystery makes the book particularly suited to Community Reads, where residents can compare impressions, theories and questions rather than simply finishing the final page on their own.

Six Community Reads Discussions Remain

Fort Bend County Libraries describes Community Reads as a countywide reading initiative designed to encourage people across different communities to read and discuss the same book. Discussions are spread among library branches and scheduled at different times, giving residents several ways to participate.

Five discussions remain in October:

• Cinco Ranch Branch Library’s Literary Lunch League will meet Oct. 7 from noon to 1 p.m. at 2620 Commercial Center Boulevard in Katy.

• Sugar Land Branch Library’s Sugar Land Book Break will meet Oct. 8 from 1 to 2 p.m. at 550 Eldridge Road in Sugar Land.

• University Branch Library’s University Branch Book Club will meet Oct. 14 from 6 to 7 p.m. at 14010 University Boulevard in Sugar Land.

• Mission Bend Branch Library’s Mission Bend Book Club will meet Oct. 14 from 7 to 8 p.m. at 8421 Addicks Clodine Road in Houston.

• Sienna Branch Library’s Booked On Crime Mystery Book Club will meet Oct. 26 from 3 to 4 p.m. at 8411 Sienna Springs Boulevard in Missouri City.

The final scheduled Community Reads discussion will be Nov. 13, when Fulshear Branch Library’s Mysterious Readers Book Club meets from 11 a.m. to noon at 6350 GM Library Road in Fulshear.

For residents who have been meaning to try a local book club but have not wanted to commit to an ongoing group, the remaining Community Reads sessions provide a natural entry point. The program is centered around one shared title, while individual branches offer different meeting dates, times and communities.

How to Read “The King of Diamonds”

“The King of Diamonds: The Search for the Elusive Texas Jewel Thief” is available through Fort Bend County Libraries in print and digitally.

Readers can find the ebook and e-audiobook through OverDrive and Libby, while an e-audiobook version is also available through hoopla. Those hoping to borrow a physical copy for one of the upcoming discussions are encouraged to contact their library branch to check availability.

The book was published in 2024 and follows Pederson’s effort to reopen a mystery that had lingered for roughly half a century. She conducted more than 200 interviews with people connected to the story, including law-enforcement officers, victims’ families, neighbors and others familiar with the period. 

From Community Reading to Meeting the Author

The Community Reads experience will not end with the final book-club discussion.

One day after the Fulshear gathering, Fort Bend County Libraries will hold its annual Book Fest on Saturday, Nov. 14, at George Memorial Library in Richmond, with Pederson among the featured participants.

Pederson brings a long journalism career to both the book and the discussion surrounding it. She served nine years on the Pulitzer Prize Board and previously worked as vice president and editorial page editor at The Dallas Morning News. Her career has included interviews with figures ranging from Margaret Thatcher and Fidel Castro to Jane Goodall and five U.S. presidents. She also served as a senior speechwriter and strategic communications adviser at the U.S. Department of State.

Her investigation into the King of Diamonds took six years, according to Fort Bend County Libraries. Pederson has said she ultimately reached a conclusion about the thief’s identity, although she has not publicly confirmed who she believes committed the crimes.

That unresolved element gives Fort Bend County readers an unusual opportunity. They can read the evidence themselves, discuss the mystery with neighbors at a local library and then hear directly from the journalist who spent years trying to solve it.

Why Community Reads Matters in Fort Bend County

Community Reads is about one book. Its broader purpose is bringing people from communities across a large and diverse county into the same conversation.

A reader in Katy may approach the story differently than someone attending a discussion in Mission Bend, Sugar Land, Missouri City or Fulshear. Community Reads gives them a shared starting point.

For families and residents accustomed to thinking of libraries primarily as places to borrow books, the program is also a reminder that local branches increasingly serve as gathering spaces where history, ideas and community conversations can intersect.

And this year, that conversation happens to begin with one of Texas’ stranger unsolved mysteries: a burglar who repeatedly entered the homes of Dallas’ wealthy, vanished with valuable jewelry and left behind questions that persisted long enough for another generation of readers to start asking them again.

The 2026 Fort Bend County Libraries Book Fest will take place Nov. 14 at George Memorial Library in Richmond. Additional information about Community Reads, Book Fest and library programs is available through Fort Bend County Libraries.

Stay tuned to My Neighborhood News for more Fort Bend County library events, community programs and local happenings.

By Tiffany Krenek, My Neighborhood News 

Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.

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